Would you pay someone to massage your face 27,000 each day, twice a day knowing it would improve your skin tone and reduce wrinkles? What if you could do that yourself for just a few dollars a day? What if I said you could combat 15 signs of aging while you did those massages? You would say I sound like an infomercial, huh?!

Clarisonic has been the leading facial care cleansing tool on the beauty market for many years. I’ve had mine for almost 10 years now. So when they offered to send me their latest device that claims to lift and firm in 12 weeks, I jumped at the chance.

They also were cool to actually give me the time to use the tool and see the benefits without rushing to post about their campaign! I was not paid for this post. Just thought I’d throw that in as well.

No filter, no Photoshop. Just my face.

What’s different about this device than previous Clarisonics is the massage head feature and smart chip. Two brush heads are included (one for face, one for body) with the massage head, a cleanser, and a charger/plug adapter. The smart chip adapts to what head you have on your device, whether for face or body or massager, and even detects the gentler areas of your neck. It will also tell you when it’s time to replace your brush heads.

For folks not familiar with the Clarisonic, it is a supersonic brush device that cleanses your skin a BAJILLION times more effective than rubbing your makeup and sunscreen off with just soap and water. It’s more effective than a washcloth or a hand held scrub brush too. And gentler. It’s not an exfoliator. It doesn’t remove layers of the skin. It merely deep cleans the skin.

Over the last five or six weeks I have been using the product and using the massage feature every morning and sometimes in the evenings too. I love that my serums and facial oils are going deep in my skin and actually working.

My face looks plump and radiant and my fine lines are diminishing right before my eyes. Not only that, but you can use this in the shower so it’s convenient. And you can use it on your decollete and neck/throat area. Good bye elephant neck. I’m starting to get that crepey skin around my neck area that looks like an elephant’s foot.

You know what I’m talking about.

Thankfully with the Clarisonic, I plan on making those lines extinct in the next 8 weeks or so.

Bye, bye, crepey elephant leg neck

A before and after photo from the Clarisonic website-

See for yourself on their website and if you’d like to see more of the Smart Uplift device in action- my YouTube video is here:

You can purchase the Smart Uplift from the Clarisonic website or an authorized distributor like Sephora

Like any hard core beauty junkie, I love shopping at the big stores: Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom. But lately in my constant pursuit of cosmetic scores, I find I get my real buzz from the smaller, lesser known brands. The gems of the Internet that you hear from via word of mouth, a hashtag on social media, or a fellow beauty guru on Youtube.

Well, follow my advice and check out these smaller beauty companies that don’t compromise punch for just a name, that blow your mind with pigments and ingredients over glossy packaging or advertising.

Glossier is a company started by beauty editors that make ‘easy to use basics that form the backbone to your unique beauty routine.’ Shown above are the basics that make their brand. Although simple, it’s effective. Brow Boy is a cult favorite among beauty gurus to fill in and shape sparse browse or just add fullness to your already ‘on fleek’ brows. See that Balmdotcom? That’s a skin salve made of mostly coconut oil that will moisturize and solve any dry skin need. You want it on your lips, your elbows, your cuticles and any crazy dry patches that spring up on you. Minimal ingredients and straight forward results are what make Glossier unique. Join the bandwagon and check them out.

You might be a little saucebox if you are rude, impudent and obnoxious. That’s the Old English origin of the moniker this Monther/Daughter company uses to call their company. Expression and no boundaries, innovation and quality without expense; this is their philosophy. The shadows above are from the Etude palette. A soft, neutral and tremendously pigmented eye shadow palette. It’s a staple in my routine. Sold out until November. I know. I’m an idiot for tempting you. But there’s other awesome shadows on their site. Cruelty free and made in the USA, I’m in love with this brand. Check out for yourself my YouTube video reviewing and demonstrating the shadows.

Call themselves the abnormal beauty company. And they’re right. They house several brands under their roof and it’s truly like no other company out there. The NIOD Photography Fluid creates a canvas on your face of light and perfection before you put on your makeup. It’s remarkable. It has nano-prismatic blurring ingredients! I’ve featured it on my YouTube channel before and I love the invention, science and beauty that powers this beauty brand. Deciem makes me feel smart for buying their product. They’re the thinking beauty addict’s love affair.

Created by makeup artist, guru and YouTube personality, Shaina Azad. She has worked in Cairo as a journalist and makeup artist for Egyptian brides. She has worked on set in Canada for movies and developed her line to fill a need for pigmented products that didn’t compromise. Her formulas contain their own primer in the shadows. I found this line at IMATS Vancouver and I fell in love with the way the shadows go on and the color doesn’t stop. It’s crazy! The above shadows can be worn as contour and blush shades as well. It’s multi-functional!

If you get excited like I do when finding new brands, then dive in to these companies. Check out my videos if you want to see them in action too! Have fun. And remember- there’s no rules in makeup!

Brows, brows, brows! That’s all anyone talks about in the beauty community. Twenty years ago eyebrows were the last thing to worry about on your face while applying makeup. Ninety percent of the time, I didn’t do anything at all with them.

I didn’t even start plucking or waxing until my 20s! But now girls (and boys) are grooming brows as young as middle school. [Read more…]

I am not allergic to gluten, but some of my friends are. They can get really sick even if they use makeup products with gluten in them! I’m sure to some of you this is news and you never thought it mattered if there was gluten in beauty products. Well it does matter.

I have searched high and low for what would pass my beauty test. Would I use these products even though I don’t need to? Yes.

So here’s a quick list to reference.

But please watch the video. I go into detail of the products I like and some I don’t, and what to look for from companies as well as what products deserve honorary mention.

I’m not here to tell you how to do Valentine’s Day. No. I’m here to help you look less like the Kraken dragged you out of bed for carpool and more like a fancy pants girl who might break bread with her sweetheart.

It’s not so hard. It can be done. Not everyone wakes up looking like Gisele. And not everyone has the time, nannies, ‘team’ or bank account to look like Gisele.

So come sit by me at the lunch table and let me tell you a thing or two.

If you happen to score a sitter, and have plans with hubs, that haven’t been dashed because your 6 year old threw up his Goldfish crackers on your iPad, or you yourself got a fever or some crazy flu and can’t spend a night in a swanky hotel kid- free (I know, it’s happened to me) then let me show you how to look amazing, even if it’s cocktails at Applebees.

I start with simple eye cream. Then slap on makeup. Yep.

A quick blow dry of the hair, some sparkly earrings. You’re good. See? So easy.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like having your own personal makeup artist? It would be like living like a Kardashian, that’s what. Or one of those Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. My makeup artist would come airbrush my face and give me a smokey eye, a full lip with perfect contouring. I would look like a million bucks every time I hopped in my minivan to head to TJ Maxx. My makeup artist would also know how to make a proper cup of English tea to have waiting for me when I got back from such a long day of bargain hunting.

People ask me to come and do their makeup for them all the time. But they’re girlfriends that live across the country and unless you plan to pay me enough to cover my plane ticket, and have my own hotel suite with a tea making butler, seriously, I’m like a Kardashian now so yeah. Well then… I guess I’m just staying home.

But if there was a way you could get an online lesson- then that would be perfect.

If you follow my blog or YouTube channel, you know that I am a skin care addict. I’m always on the hunt for the best skin care money can buy.

Okay, preferably, small money. I can’t walk into Neimans and drop $500 on an eye cream. I don’t know if there were to ever come a day that if I could afford that, I would actually spend that much. Wait. Yep. Yes I would. Not gonna lie. If I could afford it, and it was bottled, I would put goat spit on my face if it promised wonderous results. Or maybe something more luxurious, like myrrh or gold. Yes, platinum. I will bathe in platinum when I get to be Gwyneth Paltrow rich. Yay me. [Read more…]

Halloween for the makeup enthusiast is a bit like a Superbowl of fun and excuse to bring your best game. Hmm, no sports puns please, Frugie, we’re talking about makeup.

It’s like the Oscars or the Cannes film festival to the film buff. You can play and play and play to your heart’s content and not be accused of going overboard! Want to make a zipper face? Do it! Feel like making an exposed eyeball- hmm, let me look that up on Pinterest!

However, I just created a very simple 20s inspired makeup and hair look for you. Nothing gross. Unless you don’t like it, then I can’t help you. But maybe you like Candy Corn, so you’re nothing to me anyway. [Read more…]

It’s long over due that I provide you with a Dupes post. Makeup dupes.

I’ve made a YouTube video on my YouTube channel (are you subscribed? You should be!) of all the latest dupes I have scouted out for you. Finding dupes is hard work. First you buy all the high end stuff. Then you go to the drugstore and look at things that look like the luxury brands, buy them and take them home and try things out over and over to see which ones are actual replicas of the luxury products. Doesn’t this sound so budget friendly and cost effective?

I’m being sarcastic of course. But truthfully, usually I stumble across the dupes in my ‘research’ (that’s code for hours at Ulta and Sephora and Walgreens) and then test them out and get all excited and want to share them with you, my viewers/readers. [Read more…]

I needed to tell you about this month’s Beauty Box 5. Because it’s So. Freaking. Awesome!

For me, what makes a great subscription box is generous samples, and a mix of full size products as well as stuff that I’m interested in, like nail polish and eyeshadow!

To review, Beauty Box 5 is a subscription box service sending you cosmetic goodies to your door each month. You can pay monthly at $12 or $8.25 per month if you pay for the year in advance.

The first product that caught my eye was the Nails Inc. nail polish in this adorable pink shade. Nails Inc is a brand available at Sephora and this is some good stuff. The bottle included is full-size and even though I have at least 100 polishes (shut up, you know you’re jealous!) I don’t have a color like this one. #NailsInc

Then when I saw the eyeshadow palette staring me in the face, I got really excited! What is this brand? LOL? I’ve never heard of it. But this was another full size diddy. It’s the Rotational Eye Shadow palette in So Rosemantic. I won’t lie- these six colors are bright and really pink- but look lots of fun. They’re located out of France and Australia. How cool is that? #LOLCosmetics

The Herbal Essences body wash and the Simple Skincare cleansing water are great to try. I’m not sure if the body wash is as orgasmic as the shampoos like in the commercials. But I’m willing to find out. Also, cleansing water is the new beauty trend and you need to try it!

I think I actually squealed when I saw the deluxe sample of Urban Decay Cosmetics Perversion Mascara! I love this mascara. It makes your lashes such a deep black without being clumpy. #UrbanDecayCosmetics

There was also a $20 gift voucher for Gorge Hair to order their haircare products. That’s an awesome bonus!

Beauty Box 5 offers you to shop in their online boutique, you have chances to win free product and credit by sharing on social media, and there’s always something new to discover.

Hey- I’m a beauty addict and they keep surprising me- so that’s impressive!